Atlanta's SkyView Ferris wheel to spin another year

The Atlanta City Council voted Monday to extend the city's contract with Atlanta Partners LLC and The Tabernacle Group, allowing the companies to continue operating the Ferris wheel through 2015.

SkyView is located on land owned by The Tabernacle but encroaches on public property, which requires council approval.

The behemoth ride opened in the summer of 2013, part of a larger effort to revitalize downtown and attract tourists with such projects as the new Atlanta Streetcar, recently opened museums and the future Atlanta Falcons stadium. The towering structure -- 198 feet tall -- is located next to Centennial Olympic Park.

District 2 Councilman Kwanza Hall sponsored the original agreement and most recent legislation.

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"It's successful by all accounts and they're looking to do more things in our city and have greater investment in our city, which is a good sign," he said.

Hall said he expects Atlanta Partners to announce new projects in the city sometime early next year. He declined to give details about the pending announcements.

His effort to extend the project's contract to 20 years failed after Councilwoman Felicia Moore successfully passed an amendment limiting the project to a one-year renewal, with opportunities for future extensions.

The district 9 councilwoman said she believed lengthy agreements should first be vetted by the council. District 6 Councilman Alex Wan supported the amendment, noting the project's current popularity could change. Moore's amendment passed by a 10 to 4 vote.